Interview: Izakaya Yuzuki owner Yuko Hayashi talks about Japanese food, surprises and more

Interview: Izakaya Yuzuki owner Yuko Hayashi talks about Japanese food, surprises and more

The dining room at Izakaya Yuzuki in San Francisco. Photo: John Storey/The Chronicle

First-time restaurateur Yuko Hayashi is nearing the two-year mark for her Mission District Japanese restaurant, Izakaya Yuzuki. A former accountant, she and her chef, Takashi Saito, have quietly built one of the more unique restaurants in the city, a place that celebrates the ancient foods of Japan, especially fermented ones. Namely, it bills itself as the first restaurant in the United States to specialize in food prepared using koji. (See also: Tara Duggan’s article on koji)

So yes, Izakaya Yuzuki is not an izakaya in the sense that you may know the genre.

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PL: As a newcomer to this industry, what has been the biggest surprise?

Yuko Hayashi: That you don’t make money [laughing]. That’s the biggest surprise, because I thought that, at least, you can break even. But no. You can’t predict anything. You cannot calculate. You think that you can calculate, that you can make a budget, a forecast. But it doesn’t work that way.

What has contributed to that unpredictability?

I know that this kind of food is new to this city, even new to America. You know sushi, you know ramen. Everyone wants ramen. People come here and ask about sushi? We have tell them no. Miso soup? No. Ramen? No. So then they ask, “well, what do you have?” That’s the thing.

And what do you tell them?

That we have none of those things, so if you want them, you should go somewhere else.

How do you describe the food here at Izakaya Yuzuki?

It’s very authentic food that we do eat in Japan. This is what we eat … I thought this city was ready for this kind of food, this real food. But still, Japanese food is not well received, other than sushi and ramen; those are popular now. People put it together.

They want to go to an izakaya and in their minds — or because the media puts it in their mind — an izakaya is the cheapie, quick bite, drinking place. But it doesn’t have to be that way. So if everyone just think it’s a cheap bite, drinking place, then we’re wrong. I wish people would understand more about this kind of food, because it’s tasty. I think it’s very difficult because some people can’t judge by themselves, so someone has to tell them: this is good food. You have to try.

Interview: Izakaya Yuzuki owner Yuko Hayashi talks about Japanese food, surprises and more

Obanzai at Izakaya Yuzuki in San Francisco. Photo: John Storey/The Chronicle

Let’s say you have a microphone, and you can explain those things to San Francisco. What would you tell them?

I would say this is real Japanese food. This food has been going for many hundreds of years, so it’s culture. I think Japanese food is the healthiest food in the world. Koji is close to probiotics, a fermentation. It’s a good thing, it’s healthy. I think new, modern food is good, but when people survive, you have to be healthy and eat the right thing. We developed that. This is a cuisine that has lasted a thousand years. People shouldn’t eat food as a trend.

What have been some of the good surprises?

There are so many. I found out there are so many American people who lived in Japan and speak perfect Japanese. There are many of them. It’s so amazing! You never know. They just come in, and they don’t want to say anything until the end.

And a lot of restaurant people seem to come in as well, right?

Yeah, I think they’re checking the ingredients mostly. They want to learn about the koji, how to use it. Sometimes I go out to new restaurants and I see the thing we used. It’s funny. Everyone comes here. The thing is that chefs come in, but even more is the sommeliers.

Really? Why do you think that is?

I don’t know. They’re just curious, maybe. So we have many sommelier friends now. They don’t usually bring their own wine, but they want to try the sake. But there are people who have their own cellar. They bring five or six bottles and they drink and they give us. That’s nice.

Interview: Izakaya Yuzuki owner Yuko Hayashi talks about Japanese food, surprises and more

Exterior of Izakaya Yuzuki in San Francisco. Photo: John Storey/The Chronicle

Where do you like to eat out in San Francisco?

I used to go to La Ciccia a lot. It’s like my home, because my home is not far from there. I used to go there once a week. I can sit there by myself and eat, because it’s casual. You don’t need the attitude and you can relax.

What are you most proud of here, now two years in?

I think the staff.

How so?

They’re so loyal, and they’re so proud of working here.

Looking ahead, what are your goals in the coming weeks, months, years?

I want to do more events and invite more people from Japan. I’m still working on it, but I’m going to invite a chef from Kyoto. And I’m still thinking about it, but I might divide the restaurant in two sections. One that is casual, one that is high-end.

Do you have a group of customers asking for one or the other?

I think my food is taking so much labor. Making tofu takes two days. Most of the places that say their make their own tofu, they buy soy milk and then make it. But we soak the beans first.

We develop the koji here, instead of buying it. The whole thing takes too long, with too much labor and people don’t always see it. What we’re doing is really expensive, so maybe we should do a little high end, because some people do understand. Some customers tell me that it’s too cheap, that I have to go up. But for some people, it’s too expensive, and I know that. So maybe I can do a high-end for people who really want to eat that good food and then this is casual side that people can just come in and eat.

Interview: Izakaya Yuzuki owner Yuko Hayashi talks about Japanese food, surprises and more

The dining room at Izakaya Yuzuki in San Francisco. Photo: John Storey/The Chronicle